Week 4

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Week 4 -- October 29-November 11 -- Essential Questions, Project/Problem Based Learning, Learning Objects, Web 2.0 Tools, Submit Reflection 2


*** Spreadsheet with assignments and due dates. Keep track of your progress!!! ****

Course Objectives
You will:
  1. Participate in an online course as a student including reflecting on participation and collaboration.
  2. Design a standards-based online instructional unit incorporating research and best practice based principles.
  3. Develop a handbook based on research and best practices outlining rules, policies, guidelines and resources for successful online learning experiences.
  4. Explore project based learning and essential questions then weave the concepts into your instructional unit.
  5. Explore a variety of Web 2.0 tools then weave their use into your instructional unit.
  6. Demonstrate you are a licensed or licenseable teacher (if you want certificate indicating you have completed this course, see Wisconsin State Statue 118.19(13)).


Assignment 1: Read about essential questions, project based learning, WolframAlpha, and learning objects. Utilize concepts when framing your unit then selecting activities. (objective 4)

Essential Questions:
  1. Squeezing Import from Content
    http://questioning.org/questionpress.html
  2. From Trivial Pursuit to Essential Questions and Standards-Based Learning
    http://www.fno.org/feb01/pl.html
  3. How to Write Effective Driving Questions for Project-Based Learning
    http://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-how-to-write-driving-questions-andrew-miller
  4. Bloom's Taxonomy Blooms Digitally

Project/Problem Based Learning
  1. Students Thrive on Cooperation and Problem Solving
    http://www.edutopia.org/new-skills-new-century
  2. PBLNetwork -- what is problem based learning
    http://pbln.imsa.edu/
  3. What is Problem Based Learning -- Samford University Center for Teaching, Learning and Scholarship
    http://www.samford.edu/ctls/archives.aspx?id=2147484112
  4. Project Learning
    http://www.edutopia.org/project-learning> http://www.edutopia.org/maine-project-learning-schools-that-work
  5. Six Steps to Planning a Successful Project
    http://www.edutopia.org/maine-project-learning-six-steps-planning
  6. 5 Steps to Perfect Projects
    http://www.guide2digitallearning.com/blog_grant_zimmerman/5_steps_perfect_projects
  7. Video on Project Learning (also review related sites on right side of page)
    http://www.edutopia.org/project-learning-introduction-video
  8. Ten Free Project Based Learning Resources That Will Place Students At The Center Of Learning by Michael Gorman

**WolframAlpha** -- Check out what this search engine can do! This is why you need to ask essential questions.

Learning Objects -- What are they? View PowerPoint or PDF to find out. (I haven't checked the links recently so some may be old.) Provide learning objects in your online unit.

Why is it critical for schools to change how they learn?

Assignment 2 (a-d): Web 2.0 -- Skype, Audacity, Fotobabble (objective 5)
A. Use Skype (or other online audio/video chat system, see article by David Kapuler - Top 10 Sites for Creating a Video Chat) to discuss essential questions, project/problem based learning, WolframAlpha and learning objects with a classmate.
  • Suggested groups include:
    Heidi and Rowan
    Jenny and Kat
    Megan and Robin
    Erin and Tim and Kristin
  • Email one another to set up a Skyping time and to share your Skype usernames.
  • Talk about what they involve and how they can be used in your unit.
  • Download skype at: http://www.skype.com
  • Or, try TokBox, Video Chat with up to 20 people for free.

B. Create an audio podcast using Audacityor other software (see 14 Free and Simple Digital Media Tools article by Sara Bernard) welcoming students to your unit.
  • Export as an mp3 file.
  • Post mp3 on your unit webspace, send me link. (5 points)
  • Download Audacity for free at: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
  • Need a tutorial? Try: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/winterfe/325/Audacity.php
  • Need free music? Try: http://freeplaymusic.com/ or Soundzabound
  • Note: Rarely do I have anyone who is unable to use Audacity. But, if you have tried for over an hour without success, try another program and/or contact a classmate or me for assistance. If that doesn't prove successful, stop and report this in your reflection. This applies to all the technology tools I am asking you to try. If you happen to be out of town for the holiday week and don't get all completed, that's okay, submit it the following week. We are done with online discussions so from here on the most important thing is for you to pace yourself to complete the work. I wouldn't allow this flexibility with pk-12 students, but think it is more than appropriate for graduate students :)

C. Use Audacity to create a one minute lecture

D. Use fotobabble (free) or other software to create a podcast with photo.
  • Post to your unit webspace. (5 points)
  • Example of a fotobabble Digital Photos: Rule of Thirds Example

  • To make/post your fotobabble --
  1. Go to fotobabble, sign up for a free account.
  2. Follow steps to select picture on your computer and then record narrative.
  3. After you record your narrative and save, look at bottom of page to see code that you can embed into your webpage. Copy that code.
  4. Go to your wiki or website and paste code into webpage. (if you don't know how to do this, contact your tech support)
  5. If you are using Wikispaces, this is how you embed the code -- Place cursor on page where you want photo, click on Widget, click on Other HTML, paste code in box, save page, fotobabble should show.

Video of fotobabble creation and installing onto wiki.

external image moz-screenshot.png
image001.png
screen-cast-o-matic movie of how to use fotobabble

http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c61TFwiCO

I used Screen-Cast-O-Matic to make video http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/

FYI -- The movie turned out to be too big to post directly to this wiki so I saved it on the screencast-o-matic website and then linked to it. To get the opening photo on this page I made a graphic of the opening shot, inserted it into my wiki then made the graphic a link to the website.



Assignment 3: Submit Reflection 2 (objecitves 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
What have you learned during weeks 3 and 4? What concepts surprised you? How will you apply them? What do you still need to explore? How is your Policy Handbook coming along? How did the Web 2.0 tools work for you? How can the course be revised to better meet your needs?
Submit via email to cramer@uwosh.edu
Submit by November 11th, midnight